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Who Is Miles Routledge And What Happened To Him?

Who Is Miles Routledge And What Happened To Him?

“I thought ‘goofing off in Afghanistan...sounds good!’”

Laura Sanders

Laura Sanders

Miles Routledge has shot to internet fame overnight after going to Afghanistan on holiday and ending up in a UN safehouse as the Taliban took over the country.

He's been sharing his ordeal online - that is when he was permitted to use his phone, as it was feared he could set off car bombs with the phone signal in some areas.

Who is Miles Routledge?

Miles Routledge is a 22-year-old student and investment banking intern from Birmingham, UK. He's about to head into his third year at Loughborough University.

Why did he go to Afghanistan and what happened?

Routledge went to Afghanistan on holiday because he fancied something a little different to the Algarve this year.

But he soon realised he'd bitten off more than he could chew and, like the rest of the world, he didn't anticipate the scale and speed at which the Taliban would take hold of Afghanistan once the US and UK military withdrew.

"I kind of thought, what's the most fun country I could go to that isn't boring, as in, there's some excitement in there and it's different," he said online. "I don't want to go to London or even Spain.

Miles Routledge in Afghanistan. (
Facebook/Miles Le-vesconte Routledge)

"I googled the ten most dangerous countries in the world, and then I used that as a shopping list. At the top was Afghanistan.

"I messaged some people, watched some YouTube videos and thought 'this stuff's alright!' I thought as the UK and US are still there, it's got to be pretty safe.

"I thought 'goofing off in Afghanistan...sounds good!'"

Routledge began updating people about his misadventures on 4Chan, where people know him by his Twitch username: Lord Miles. where he's known by the name 'Lord Miles'. He's since been keeping people informed on his Facebook profile.

Where is Miles Routledge now?

In the early hours of Tuesday 17th August, Miles posted to Facebook and confirmed that he's been evacuated from Kabul airport, where there have been hundreds of Afghani's risking death trying to climb onboard the aircraft, and put on a flight out of Afghanistan.

He's now safe in Dubai, after reporting earlier that he'd been put on a list for a flight there. Dubai is a major hub for flights to destinations in Europe and Asia, so he'll likely be put on another flight home to the UK from there.

Before that, Routledge was in a UN safehouse, which his tour guide helped him to get to. Routledge has thanked his tour guide for putting his safety ahead of his own over the last few days.

"Despite how interesting my situation is, please remember I'm comfortable, whereas the average Afghani is fearing for their life," he said.

"My tour guide is currently fearing for his family and his only crime is going the extra mile and saving my life. I can never repay him and that saddens me.

"I've heard about some kind people gathering money for my trip [home] but please put it to better use and donate to some charities in the area. A few $ or £ will make all the difference for a family. It's what I've been trying to do on this trip but sadly it's never going to be enough and that pains me."

Late on Monday evening (16th August), he described the scenes at the airport.

"The Taliban let us go through the airport and we met many of them. Very long transition period but everyone was smiling and waving at one another, some took selfies with them.

"I slept on a dirt/gravel road and woke up as cars went by. We're in a new safe house and we're all hydrated, happy and ready for a few hours of sleep."

It's safe to say that Routledge will be choosing a more mainstream holiday destination next time.

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Miles Le-vesconte Routledge

Topics: Students, War, Twitch